Celebrating the impact of Will Aid

28 March 2019

Nick Thorley visits a solicitors in Sheffield

By Nick Thorley, Christian Aid Regional Legacy Coordinator

This week I had the pleasure of visiting one of the most successful firms to participate in the charity will-writing scheme, Will Aid. Taylor Bracewell, with offices in Sheffield and Doncaster, raised an amazing £18,680 in 2018. This was the fifth time they’ve taken part and this time they’ve raised £85,681. This puts them second in the national league table.

Christian Aid is one of nine charities to benefit from the money raised during Will Aid, which takes place every November. Law firms volunteer their time and expertise to write basic wills, waiving their fee, with clients being invited to make a voluntary donation to Will Aid instead. Donations support the vital work of the nine partner charities.

The suggested donation for your basic Will Aid will is £95 for a single will and £150 for a pair of mirror wills.

In 2017 Will Aid raised more than £1.25 million for its charity partners – Action Aid, Age UK, British Red Cross, Christian Aid, NSPCC, Save the Children, Sightsavers, SCIAF (Scotland) and Trocaire (Northern Ireland).

James Tarleton, Chair of Will Aid said:

”Not only does making your will through Will Aid provide peace of mind, but the nine partner charities use the donations and legacies from will makers to reach people in crisis, both here in the UK and all around the world.

“As well as making a donation, many people who make their wills through Will Aid, use this opportunity to provide support to their favourite charities through a gift in their will. These legacies make a great difference and we are very thankful for those who choose to support our work in this way.”

In addition to visiting Taylor Bracewell, it's been my privilege over the last fortnight to phone around 30 participating solicitors throughout the East Midlands, South Yorkshire and the North East. I’ve been able to thank them for their generosity and share with them a little about our maternal health projects in Sierra Leone, featured in this year’s Christian Aid Week. I’ve been able to give them an idea of how impactful the sum they’ve raised will be in this particular context.

If you’d like to take part in Will Aid, you can make your November appointment from September onwards via the Will Aid website: https://www.willaid.org.uk/or by calling 0300 0309 558.

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About Christian Aid

We have more than 70 years’ experience of working in partnership to support communities to thrive. We tackle the root causes of poverty so that women, men and children the world over are strengthened against future knocks. And if disasters happen, we get people the help they want straight away.